17-02-2025
Breast cancer survivors honored at annual Pink Zone Game
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (WTAJ) — Hundreds of breast cancer survivors were honored on Sunday in State College at the 19th annual Pink Zone Game.
Before the game started, there was a celebration for all survivors in the South Gym of the Bryce Jordan Center.
'When you get a cancer diagnosis, you don't really know what's going to happen and what to expect and this is an opportunity to just say, we're celebrating you,' Pink Zone's President, Tammy Miller, said.
For breast cancer survivors, each day is another chance to celebrate the end of a journey.
'Having that experience really walked me, people walking me through it. I wasn't scared at all because they were with me. And I want to give back. I'm here today to make sure that to let everybody know that I'm here for them as well,' Maria Kim, a breast cancer survivor, said.
Maria finished her cancer treatment exactly 6 months and 1 day ago. She said it felt amazing, yet surreal to finish it. It didn't fully sink in until she got her completion certificate.
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The history of the Pink Zone Game dates back to February 2007. Trish Fulvio is the Executive Director and spoke more about the history.
'It all started with a small grant from the NCAA. Their challenge was to raise money for breast cancer causes. And they gave Penn State that grant. That's how the pink game started. Then all the other schools that are doing it took the lead from Penn State. Once again, we're first,' Fulvio said.
Over the years, Pink Zone has raised more than $3.2 million for partner organizations, including the Kay Yow Cancer Fund as well as contributions for direct aid to local breast cancer patients and their families.
More than 5,000 survivors have been honored, including Kim Ramirez, who started attending the event five years ago and chose to volunteer this year. She also founded her own non-profit organization to help other survivors.
'After you ring the bell, you're no longer eligible for any of the other resources with all the other great organizations. So what we do now is we help the survivor. After you ring the bell, we'll help you with your medically related co-pays and deductibles, because you got to keep doing scans. And there, you know, there's still so much after the fact,' Ramirez said.
Next year will be the 20th anniversary of the Pink Zone game, and Corinne Leparik has volunteered since the very beginning. She was never diagnosed with breast cancer, but she was a Lady Lion during her time at Penn State.
'I think everybody who comes back year after year, that's what gives me pleasure when I see some of the same gals come through, meaning that they're still successful with surviving breast cancer. And it's just awesome that it's the same excitement every year,' Leparik said.
The Pink Zone Game started at 1 p.m. The Lady Lions squared off against the Badgers, as they did in the first-ever Pink Zone game in 2007.
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